Multi-purpose rubber stamps



March 12, 1957 A. J. POJE 2,784,663

' MULTI-PURPOSE RUBBER STAMPS Filed Feb. 8, 1954 IN TOR.

United States Patent MULTI-PURPOSE RUBBER STAMPS Albert J. Poje, NewYork, N. Y.

Application February 8, 1954, Serial No. 408,880

1 Claim. (Cl. 101-109) The present invention relates to improvements inrubber stamps of the type where a stamp surface is first provided withink by pressing it upon a stamp pad, and then an impression is made upona paper or the like. More specifically, the present invention relates toa stamp which can produce not only one but several different impressionsor prints, for instance six or eight messages such as Via Air Mail,First Class, Special Delivery, Registered, Return Receipt Requested,Parcel Post, and the like.

I am aware that single stamping devices providing for a plurality ofmessages have been constructed heretobefore; however, these devices areeither complicated in use, or heavy, or subjected to rapid wear andtear. Therefore an object of the present invention is the provision of adevice of the character described which has its various rubber stampingsurfaces permanently attached to a drum, so that these surfaces cannotcome off through wear and tear.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device ofthe character described which is easy to operate because it is ofsubstantially the same size and weight as a single-message rubber stampand which permits a changing from one message to another in a verysimple manner by turning a drum without necessarily touching the drumitself or any one of the rubber stamping surfaces.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a deviceof the character described which is so constructed that it requires aminimum of space and is less expensive than a plurality ofsingle-message stamps, and which is also designed for protecting thenot-used stamping surfaces by encompassing the same in a housmg.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangements of parts without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing a preferred form of the invention has beenshown,

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

In the drawing the numeral 1 denotes a longitudinal drum of plasticmaterial, wood, light metal, or the like, which in the instance shown ishexagonal, but which may be also octagonal or of any other suitabledesign and shape. A sleeve member 2 of rubber or of any other suitablematerial is secured to the outer side of the drum 1, encompassing thesame, and the outer sections of 2 the member 2are providedwith variousrubber. stampings 3.

The drum 1 is provided' with an axial bore through which extends a shaft4. I prefer toconne'cttlreshaft 4 firmly to the drum 1,.so .vthatthe.drum cannot be rotated relative-to'theshaft'4i this maybe carried out inany suitable manner, preferably by making a portion 5 ofthe-shaftidsquare in cross-section; and making; also square in cross-section thatportion of the said axial bore in the drum 1 into which the portion 5 ofthe shaft 4 is extended.

The major portion of the drum 1 is encompassed by a housing 7, to whichis attached a handle 10, and which has top and side wall portions aswell :as end wall portions "and is open at its bottom so as to permit asection of the drum 1 to protrude beyond its open bottom portion. Theend portions of the shaft 4 extend rotatably through the end wallportions of the housing 7, and a hand 11 is firmly secured to one endportion of the shaft 4, which end portion preferably is square incross-section and provided with a threaded bore, into which is screwed asecuring screw 12. A pin 14, or any other suitable laterally protrudingmember, is secured to the hand 11 and adapted for frictional engagementwith indentations 15 in the end wall portion of the housing 7 adjacentthe hand 11. The indentations 15 are so located that the member 14engages one of them whenever one of the sides of the drum 1 isright-angularly disposed to the handle 10 and is extended through theopen bottom portion of the housing 7. The hand 11 has a certain degreeof resiliency. For rotating the drum 1 and thus changing the rubberstamp ing, the operator forces the outer end of the hand 11 away fromthe housing 7, so that the member 14 no longer engages a notch 15, andturns (the hand. An inscription (not shown) adjacent each notch 15preferably indicates which one of the rubber stampings is in Workingposition when the member 14 engages the notch.

Thus the turning of the drum 1 as well as the selection of the desiredrubber stamping is facilitated, and the elements 14 and 15 prevent anyunwanted rotation of the drum 1.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and diiferentembodiments of the invention could be made without departing from thescope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claim is intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as amatter of lan guage might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A rnulti-purpose rubber stamp comprising a polygonal drum having anaxial bore one end portion of which is square in cross-section, apolygonal sleeve member mounted on and encompassing said drum and havinga plurality of sections provided with rubber stampings, a housing havingtop-and-side-wall portions as well as end wall portions and being openat its bottom encompassing the major portion of said drum and permittinga section of the drum to protrude beyond the housing through its openbottom, a shaft rotatably extending through the end wall portions ofsaid housing being also extended through said drum and having at one enda threaded bore and at its other end an enlarged cylindrical portion andbeing provided intermediate its ends with a square portion fitting intothe square portion of the bore of said drum, a hand at that end of saidshaft which has said threaded bore outside of said housing, a screwextended through said hand being screwed into said bore of said shaft,a.

member protruding laterally from said hand and in frictional engagementWith an end Wall portion of said housing, and a handle member extendingfrom said housing, that end Wall portion of said housing which isadjacent said hand being provided with indentations adapted forreceiving said laterally protruding member whenever said drum is in apredetermined position.

331,438 Poalk Dec. 1, 1885 4 Dunn July 13, 1886 McGreevy Apr. 19, 1910Hedrick Feb. 17, 1925 Lien May 4, 1926 Hennen June 22, 1926 WhitmoreNov. 11, 1930 Wessborg Apr. 16, 1935 Putnam Jan. 25, 1938

